Look A- Cleveland Suffragette

It took over 100 years of activism to ratify the 19th amendment, which granted (some) women the right to vote in the United States. Throughout the 19th century, the movement swelled and by the early 20th century, suffragists held marches, vigils, and hunger strikes to rally support for women’s suffrage. The color yellow was chosen as the color of the movement, and many chose to adorn themselves in the color. The yellow sash, bodice, and bag displayed here were worn by a suffragette who was part of the Women’s City Club of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1916. Many suffragettes defied their families, friends, and communities in taking to the streets to support voting rights for women. The tote bag was an important accessory, used to hold educational pamphlets that were distributed during various events. Pamphletting was important on both sides of the issue as suffragists and opponents used pamphlets to educate the voting public about their respective agendas. “Opposing votes for women may seem surprising today,” says suffrage historian Dr. Allison Lange, “but anti-suffrage views dominated among men and women through the early 20th century” (Lange, 2015, para 1).

Look B - Olivia “Livy” Langdon Clemens

Olivia “Livy” Langdon Clemens (1845-1904) was a strong-minded woman noted for her progressive views on abolition and women’s rights. Livy was born into an affluent family that supported women’s education. She attended Elmira College, the first institution to give equal degrees to men and women (Skandera-Trombley, 1996). Growing up she was friends with passionate suffragettes including Isabella Beecher Hooker and Anna Dickson. In 1870 she married Samuel Clemens, who is better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. Throughout her adult life Livy struggled to figure out her role within the women’s movement, choosing to raise a family and help Twain with his writing rather than become a more prominent suffragette herself (Skandera-Trombley, 1996).

However, Livy’s ideological beliefs never faltered and she was a proud progressive woman who helped advance the rights of women within her own household and community.

This two-piece gown, which was worn by Livy in the mid-1880s, features intricate patterning, lace detailing, and breathtaking embroidered pansies. In addition to the surface level beauty of both pieces, the gown features decorative detailing in purple, gold, white, and green, colors that would later come to represent the suffrage movement.

Look C - Janet Reno

According to an early woman’s suffrage publication, the color purple represented “the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette, the instinct of freedom and dignity” (Atkinson, 1992, p. 15). This light purple sleeveless sheath dress and matching jacket, ornamented with purple chain-stitch floral embroidery, is a reference to this suffrage legacy and was worn by Janet Reno ’60 (1938 – 2016). Reno majored in chemistry at Cornell University and also led the Women’s Student Government Association. She subsequently attended Harvard, where she earned her J.D. in 1963. In 1978 she became the first woman to serve as a state attorney in Florida, and in 1993 she became the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States.

Some of her notable accomplishments included overseeing the conviction of the Unabomber, suing the tobacco industry to reclaim federal healthcare dollars, and prosecuting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, as well as the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing. Upon her passing in November 2016, former president Bill Clinton called Reno “an extraordinary public servant who dedicated her life to advancing justice, equality and innovations in criminal justice that would save and lift lives.”

Reno also became a pop culture icon in 1997 when actor Will Ferrell began impersonating her on NBC's Saturday Night Live in a sketch called "Janet Reno's Dance Party." On her last day as US Attorney General in 2001, Reno joined Ferrell on the show. "Janet Reno's Dance Party" ended with a discussion about Reno's clothes.

"I like your dress, Janet," Reno said to Ferrell.

"Thanks Janet, I like yours, too," Ferrell said. "Oh Janet, I can't believe I have to say goodbye. what do you do when you get?"

"I just dance, " Reno said. "Now, hit it!"

Look D - Coretta Scott King

Mrs. Coretta Scott King (1927 – 2006) was an activist, author, civil rights leader and mother born in Alabama in 1927. These hats are extant examples of the union caps worn by Mrs. King when she advocated for healthcare workers’ rights on the picket line in Charleston, South Carolina in 1969, and at various events throughout the 1970s. In 1969, less than a year after her husband’s death, Mrs. King became the honorary chair of the “Union Power, Soul Power” campaign. She traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to support striking hospital workers and gave compelling speeches and uplifted spirits on the picket lines. In one such speech, she said: “One thing that hospital workers, black, white, or brown, have in common all over the country is that they are poor, they are terribly exploited, and they need a union more than anybody else. That is why I’m with you. And you can count on me to stay with you in your fight for justice, for human rights and for dignity” (1199SEIU, 2018, para. 3). After the 100-day strike, Charleston hospital workers were rehired with increased pay. The union caps worn by Mrs. King and others were an important frontline fashion that conveyed solidarity and collectivity, which empowered hospital workers on the picket line.

Look E - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Before becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore through these shoes campaigning in her district in the months leading up to the democratic primary in June 2018. After defeating incumbent Congressman and Democratic Caucus Chair John Crowley on June 26, she tweeted: (see below)

These shoes represent the dedication and determination of a hard-working Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx who wants to create possibilities for the people of her district, and the United States more broadly: better access to healthcare, education, and quality employment; the abolishment of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and paths to citizenship for immigrants; dedication to the environment and the Green New Deal; and all the while advocating for senior citizens, people of color, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. These tattered shoes are a perfect example of fashion on the frontline: they were completely worn out by Ocasio-Cortez as she knocked on doors, campaigning and connecting with the people of her district.

Before becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore through these shoes campaigning in her district in the months leading up to the democratic primary in June 2018. After defeating incumbent Congressman and Democratic Caucus Chair John Crowley on June 26, she tweeted: (see right).

Stay All Day liquid lipstick in Beso, worn by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 2018

During a televised democratic primary debate on June 17, 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared in bold, bright red lipstick. Juxtaposed here alongside her tattered campaign shoes, the combination is intended to evoke the complexities and contradictions women in politics face everyday: as Megan Garber of The Atlantic explained, “One must be authentic, but widely appealing. One must be careful, but relatable. Smart, but not off-puttingly so. Charming, but not trying too hard. And for women politicians, of course, the demands amplify: Attractive, but not too attractive. Put-together, but not excessively. Well dressed, but. Made up, but. Confident, but” (2018, para. 7).

Look F - Gizelle Begler '08

After the 2016 election, Gizelle Begler ’08 traveled from her home in NYC to march with half a million people at the 2017 Women’s March on Washington. The hijab design was inspired by the power and strength conveyed in Shepard Fairey’s illustration of a Muslim woman wearing an American Flag hijab (Helmore, 2017). Begler hand-sewed a nylon American Flag into the shape of the veil she wears to prayer. Begler is one of the millions of Americans directly affected by policies enacted under the Trump presidency. An Egyptian-American Muslim with platinum blonde hair she may not immediately appear to be the typical face of Trump’s danger to America, but his policies directly affect her daily life. The timing of the ban coincided with Begler’s mother’s diagnosis with a terminal illness, and it became increasingly challenging for her family traveling from abroad to visit her dying mother. “I could have marched for any reason,” she says, “women’s rights, reproductive rights, but I wanted to march for this. For the rights of Muslim-American women.”

Look G - Ann Richards

Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was the 45th governor of Texas (D) January 15, 1991 - January 17, 1995. This white suit was worn during her inauguration in which she started her speech with, “Welcome to the first day of the new Texas!” Known for her silver white hair, style, and wit, Governor Richards is also remembered for her commitment to diversity: she appointed more women, people of color, and other underrepresented folks to state posts than any of her predecessors. A former school teacher, Governor Richards also cared deeply about education and she fought for more equitable funding distribution to schools across the state.

Governor Richards also supported local apparel production and commissioned this skirt suit from Richard Brooks of Dallas, Texas. After her term ended she continued her political work and was granted many honors and awards, including induction into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. The last time she wore this outfit was to attend a women’s event in Washington, D.C. in 1996.

Look H- Cecile Richards

“I may have majored in history, but I minored in agitating,” wrote Cecile Richards, former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in her 2018 memoir Make Trouble (Richards, 2018). Political activism runs in her family: the daughter of former Texas governor Ann Richards and civil rights attorney David Richards, Richards was born a fighter (Wertheimer, 2018). She found herself on the frontline in September 2015, when she was called to testify before in Congress to defend Planned Parenthood.

Richards recalled the sartorial decisions in the days leading up to the hearing:

“I picked out a basic blue suit and a pin of my mom’s that had always reminded me of a sheriff’s badge. Whenever I’m up against something really tough, I bring Ann Richards with me” (Richards, 2018, p. 8-9). Richards spoke for over four hours, defending her organization with a mix of power and composure against Republican criticism. Richards remembered the last text message she received from a friend before starting the hearing: “Remember to carry the rage of women through the centuries with you this morning!” (Richards, 2018); and decked out in this St. John Knits skirt suit, she did just that.

Six different flags (Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate flag) have flown over Texas since its annexation from Native Americans in the 1500s. Today, the ‘Lonestar State’ is represented by a flag which features a single star representing the singularity of the government of Texas. Texas became its own country – the Republic of Texas – in 1836. This particular flag was flown over the Texas State Capitol building in Austin to mark the Texas sesquicentennial in 1986.

Loaned by Texas natives, Susan and Mark Kaiser, this flag was signed by Ann Richards in 1997. While the Kaisers have lived in California for many years, the Texas flag has long symbolized an allegiance to their home state. Today Texas politics are often associated with the political right; however, Texas has been home to many influential feminist leaders donor of this flag—Susan Kaiser—whose critical work in cultural, fashion, and gender studies has provided much-needed validation of fashion as a site of cultural, social, and political production.

Look I - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg '54

Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn in 1933, Ruth Bader Ginsburg grew up in a neighborhood of Eastern European and Russian immigrants where she attended James Madison High School (Carmon & Knizhnik, 2015, p. 25). She later attended Cornell University where she met her husband Martin (Marty) Ginsburg ‘54. Together, they attended Harvard Law School where Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) was one of nine women in a class of 500 students. While in law school, RBG was the first woman to be on the Harvard Law Review in 1957/58. At the same time, RBG was a mother as well as a wife who cared for her husband Marty when he was diagnosed with cancer halfway through their law program. When Marty recovered and later got a job at a firm in New York City, RBG transferred to Columbia University where she officially earned her Juris Doctorate. For the vast majority of their careers, Marty took over equal, if not the primary duties of home enabling RBG to balance her work and family life.

Her judicial collars, all of which have been collected over the course of her tenure on the Supreme Court, are often used to signify her decision on a case before the court. Specific collars are chosen for a dissenting opinion while others are worn for official state functions. In a 2009 interview with The Washington Post, RBG explained: “The standard robe is made for a man because it has a place for the shirt to show, and the tie. So Sandra Day O’Connor and I thought it would be appropriate if we included as part of our robe something typical of a woman.” In other words, the collars become a visible marker of femininity, and one that cannot be ignored against the dramatically austere backdrop of a plain black judicial robe. RBG sent us two examples of her feminist intervention on the Supreme Court with two distinct styles: a lace jabot and a peter pan collar.